Giaio(Joy)!! Portrait Challenge Day 45!

June 2, 20231 Comment

Giaio an Italian Artist @florentinogiaio on arches 140# cp 9×12”

Her name Giaio means Joy. Finally a watercolor I like. I managed to jeep it really loose.

Used a moltow masking pen to leave the white hair wisps. Painted w a silver brush cats paw, #10 Charles Reid kolinsky sable and 1/2” Robert Simons synthetic flat.

Shadows added w ultramarine aka the big scary (an ultramarine wash in the shadows) and the flesh tone injected into the ultramarine. I

Just about done. Have to remove the masking fluid. love the Moltow masking pen but next time will buy a pebeo one. The Moltow masking is tougher to remove but it was so nice being able to make the lines fast w no messing w a dead paint brush full of masking.

Mary Whyte palette colors.

Thanks! Judith and @fiorentinogiaio

Pansies still flourishing which is unusual for this time of the year. Usually long dead and gone but its been 66 here.

More pansies and nasturtiums which are coming on like gangbusters.

Margaret putting her feet up. Xoxoxoxox

That portrait challenge Day 44

May 31, 2023May 31, 2023Leave a comment

Trinidad Day 441/4 sheet cp fluid. Mixed media #jyportraitchallenge on ig

My friend Ruth and I keep each other going. You can see her posts @britpeach on ig. When one flags the other says where’s your post today?!

Our #jyportraitchallenge photo from IG. Judith Yaws is an Asheville NC area based artist who holds lifemodeling zoom sessions several times a month. Her models are world class and have kindly donated their photos to Judith for the challenge.

Almost forgot to take pics. The beginning.

Something is off. Omg and i can not lift on this piece of fluid. That’s a pickle to say the least. Her mouth is far too low which means everything from there down is too low!! 😵😵😵

Trying to lift/move that mouth and getting into big trouble because quin pink is staining. And whats with the cross eyes?!

For better or worse i moved it. The paper really was terrible. There were dots all over below her nose on her chin like there was no sizing on it. Did i say this was the back of the cp fluid 140?!

Luckily she had a heavy shadow under her lip which helped disguise that I loved her mouth. Well i hope it did.

I added a lot of white gouache to her top w a 1/2” flat to give it texture. Lots of fun. Think i may need to do some acrylics again.

Anyway here she is done as she will get.

Off the back deck this am. Gorgeous day on River Bend. Margaret xoxoxoxo

@drawingisfree_org

May 30, 2023May 30, 20232 Comments

Thanks Chloe @drawingisfree_org We were live from Paris sketching!! The Zoom link is at the top of this page. What a great FREE opportunity!!

A marvelous face on this old man sitting almost in the dark en Paris. My Fav sketch! All of these were done in my superaquabee 10×14” sketchbook with two Derwent sketching pencils a lightwash and a 4B I got at Blick Atlanta. Lovely dark soft pencils with a thick lead. Love them.

These are all two and a half -3:14 minute poses. The length of the great music she played. Different song for each pose mostly Francais, mais oui!

In case u r wondering where I have been now on day 43 of the #jyportraitchallenge on IG. Check them out at @maggieinsc.

This is a totally FREE drawing session. His first time attending and she asked him to pose😵😵😵. His glasses really were crooked.

Every Monday @drawingisfree_org has two sessions at 4 am EST and noon EST. Short 2-3 minute poses w different attendees being called on for a quick pose. So fun. Great music for each pose.

Her 80th coming up but shes still drawing! Hopes to spend it in Paris sketching. I

Lots of hands to practice on. A challenge when the pose is two and a half minutes. Great spikey hair and yellow glasses which i didn’t get to.

Despite a Zoom collapse which was a total reboot and a power outage right before the end best fun i have had sketching since BC Before covid.

Used two Derwent sketch pencils a 4B and a lightwash which had been languishing in my pencil box. Yes I have a PINK pencil box. Lol. Actually i have several to store my watercolors in my color.

Not my best but only two and a half minutes. 🙃Grwar curly red hair.

Chloe our fearless leader. Started is off posing to some great French music. When in France do as the Francai do, n’est-ce pas??

A Bientot! Margaret xoxoxo whose gotta go paint. #jyportraitchallenge

Going to a Garden Party

May 10, 2023Leave a comment

Day 23 #jyportraitcsllenge Loved Lyn @lynaylwardart Loved her big hat. To me she looks like shes heading to a garden party in her hat. Fluid 140# cp M Graham watercolor
The background was fun. I did it FIRST by wetting it down w a two inch flat then dabbying in pure thick color into the background-sap green, ultramarine and yellow. Then u just let it flow. DO NOT touch it. Hard to resist i know.

And i sketched. I got the head angle wrong and the eyes. Well i just done know. Sigh.

The final sketch. A little masking for the holes in the straw. Finally she arrived. Or I gave up.

The hat was also done all at once adding in hair color so it would melt into the brim. you have to use paint right out of the tube when you do that. Burnt sienna and quin gold with some mineral violet.

Close to done. The skin got too pink but not as pink as this. I used quin coral, light yellow permanent and mineral violet. The dress was done like the background wetting it down but adding in mixed and water downed colors.

Added a few more shadows and tried to lighten the pink. Not easy to lighten quin coral its staining. Mostly happy with her just wish she weren’t so pink

Margarer xoxoxoxo

How did i ever work?!

May 9, 20231 Comment

Most days around here are so busy I wonder.

Day 22 of 30 day portrait challenge. #jyportraitchallenge Jaxxon @hisarmystudiosA pirate? Well maybe. Still not happy with the skin tone but too late tonite to add burnt umber. Tried raw sienna and burnt Sienna and quin burnt orange plus some mineral violet and cobalt teal. Also need to soften a few edges but not tonite. Mgraham watercolor.

Then i forgot to take pics. This one is the skin is raw sienna, burnt sienna and a dab of quin pink. I think hes too yellow and too light. Also gets lost in the background. Looks a little too cut out.

So I began the game of change his skin tone, the background and softening edges. Lost the back wdge of his head. Always makes them sit on the page better.

Colors off but he’s done for the moment. BYTW Jaxxon is doing the thirty day challenge too. Margaret xoxoxox

Oy Vey what a Day

May 7, 2023May 7, 2023Leave a comment

Hope i spelled that right.

Day 21. Looks easy right??! Mar @marcastenada_model #jyportraitchallenge Cute Audrey Hepburn look. Love Audrey.

The sketch. Just didnt look quite right. I should have fixed it then but NOPE. Fluid 140#cp

Cobalt was much better but three coats on the background. 1 teal 2 cobalt. 😵‍💫 Nothing easy today. Her face does not look right.

Better. I had a laundry list of tweaks. Her hairline lifted, her mouth got another quarter inch, i moved her right eye down , added some kore shadow under her left eye and softened some of the lines on her chest. I think thats it. Hmm. Anyway whether or not she’s right i quit.

Supper time Margaret xoxoxox

Being slack BUT oh so busy

May 7, 20232 Comments

Number 20! British model @Beth.Reeks.98 her red hair and those eyes yelled paint me. In my next life i want red hair just like hers. Just posting process pics tonight. Getting so behind with this challenge keeping me so busy. Totally enjoying the challenge and have learned alot.

Funny how dark this looks. You can tell from the finished painting it wasnt

Lots of juicy drips. Course those will be under the mat.

Just because i can post the lovely drips again. Bwahhhh

Another day another portrait or two

May 4, 20231 Comment

Lots of back lighting in this photo. And those blue shadows and golden skin. A scary mix for turning her green. Eeek

The sketch. Stillman and Birn Alpha
Drove me crazy trying get the eyes straight. Finally got out the ruler which i never do and drew a perpendicular line for them. kept drawing the right eye too high. 😵 And then i forgot to take any pics. Oops. Sorry.

Her skin is basically quin gold and pink. A very light mix. Then i added cobalt teal for the shadows. Her hair was splattered. More quin gold for a base. Added burnt umber and ultramarine splatter. Drew some curls with my Cheap Joes Scroogys Loose Goose saber brush. Always fun.

Out back today. The water was like glass.

Busy day so now putting my feet up. Margaret xoxoxoxo

Mom’s Fav – The cello

May 2, 2023May 2, 2023Leave a comment

Day 15/30 portrait challenge #jyportraitchallenge Spent too long drawing the portrait around a bit. Mostly quin gold@and quin pink with cobalt turquoise and burnt sienna for the face. Hair is raw sienna, raw umber, and burnt sienna.
Mgraham watercolor may easily rewets but think its time to reload my palette. Thanks @judithyaws and @jaksics_judit_reka

The lovely photo. Mom played second chair violin in high school. She kept a cello for years but never learned to play it. I love cello music esp YoYo Ma buy have never aspired to play one.

The sketch took longer than the paintjng. Took a while for her to show up for a visit as i call it when i finally get the drawing right.

The face and hair. Really meant to do the background before i got this far. Oh well. The background of cobalt and Maroon Perlene which i cut in with my big cats paw brush. I also brushed it over and into the hair which i think lost the edges. The light streaks of hair where done with my fingernail. Something i am not fond of doinf because it makes your nails a mess but does make great hair.

Margaret who kinda wishes she has done this on watercolor paper. Oh well. Hmm i may go back and make the background a dark chocolate brown ultramarine. It would make her pop and the cello blend in.